Closure
by bjames238
Summary: Faith-centric, postChosen. Faith takes off. She's in search for a new life. She sets up roots in New York and starts to rebuild what little life she had. All that changes when she sees a vamp attack a woman and her son. What new side of Faith will we see?
1. Prologue: Getting Away

**Closure**

_Buffy the Vampire Slayer post S7 "Chosen"_

A.N. So this is the prologue for a new story about Faith. We probably won't see the Scooby Gang for a long, long while after this chapter...if at all. This'll mainly be about Faith and the new life she has to find. New characters, maybe a few flashbacks from Faith's life before Sunnydale, maybe we'll see Faith in a way we've never seen her before. After all the future is never what people think . . .

**Prologue: Getting Away**

It had been exactly four days, twelve hours, and thirty-six minutes since she'd been on the bus with Robin talking about surprises. Four days, twelve hours, and thirty five minutes since she'd actually thought that Robin might be okay and maybe they'd have a go at an actual relationship—something she wasn't really familiar with.

None of that mattered though because Robin didn't have a future. Not even twenty-four hours after they'd rushed him to the nearest hospital in the nearest town the doctor came out and told them he didn't make it.

Faith had never been that close with a guy before so she didn't really know how she was supposed to react when the one she was kinda dating dies. The hours afterward Buffy, Giles and the rest watched her like she was a timebomb or something. She didn't know how she was supposed to be feeling . . . but she knew that she felt really angry. Those hours were kinda a blur with the going to the bar and getting drunk as hell . . . but she did remember waking up the next morning in an alley with a killer headach, bloody knuckles, and the wall of a building all torn up—kinda like when she was in Los Angeles helping Wes capture Angel and she trashed her former Watcher's shower.

Luckily though it hadn't been some guy she'd waled on . . . or even demon considering she was piss drunk and not in control of her actions. Three days, six hours, and four minutes after waking up in that alley . . . she was in a cemetery. She was pretty sure that she really hated cemeteries despite being the Slayer. Or a Slayer. She'd never really been the Slayer. That was Buffy's gig . . . a gig Faith didn't really want in the first place. Now there were Slayers all over the place and no one would be the Slayer. Or maybe Buffy still was. Like a queen or something.

She turned her head, her eyes falling on a mausoleum a few yards away. She remembered when she was a kid and the only pet she'd ever had died. It was this dog she'd found one day wandering the streets while her lame excuse for a mother was sleeping off the night before. The dog was small, probably only a couple of weeks old. Little pit bull that musta got seperated from its mother. Either that or the mom didn't want it. Kinda like Faith.

So she'd taken the dog home, hid it in her room, and saved scraps of her food and fed it to the little mut while her mother was out for the night. Obviously only being like six at the time she hadn't known that the dog was too young for solid food and naturally it died just days after she found it. She hadn't cried or anything when it stopped breathing. Just took it to the cemetery and buried it next to a mausoleum.

Ever since the sight of mausoleums made her twinge a little. She never let anyone see or realize what she was doing . . . but yeah. Big bad rogue Slayer who did almost four years in a federal prison and mausoleums still made her twinge.

"Faith."

The dark-haired Slayer turned her head. Buffy had her hand on her fellow Slayer's shoulder. Faith nodded, taking a couple of steps forward. She bent down, snatched a handful of dirt and stood back up. The priest was saying something but Faith wasn't really paying attention. There wasn't anything the priest said that Faith wanted to hear. Finally the priest stopped talking and Faith took another step forward, making sure not to fall in to the empty grave.

She'd done that once in a dream and really didn't wanna do it again.

The dirt felt gritty in her hand and she clenched her fist a little. Without a second thought she threw the dirt in the rectangular hole. She felt Xander's hand on her shoulder and she shrugged it away. After all these years he still didn't understand that he didn't really mean anything to her. With her new outlook on life she didn't wanna bust his chops . . . but there wasn't anything he could do for her. The last time she'd let someone in—Robin, the Mayor—they just ended up leaving. The thought was grimmer than she liked but it was true.

People die, that's just the way it is.

She decided she didn't want to be here anymore. She brushed the last of the dirt off and started to walk away. It didn't take long for her to realize that Buffy was following her. "Faith, wait!"

Faith sighed, turning around. "What do you want, B?"

"Where are you going?" Buffy said. "It's not over yet."

"I came, I saw . . . I'm done," Faith let her old sarcastic side slip out. It was easier to get away this way.

"It's okay," Buffy said, "We all know how much he meant to you."

Faith shook her head, "No. You don't. Simple as that. I'm not you. I don't cry myself to sleep over a boy and I don't get caught up in the past. He's dead. It's done. And I'm moving on." She walked away.

Apparently Buffy didn't hear her because not even five seconds later the blonde Slayer was in front of her and stopped her. "This isn't right. You should talk to someone, maybe-"

"Buffy, just let it go," Faith said. They were quiet for a minute. "I'm leaving."

"The funeral?" Buffy said.

Faith shook her head, "I can't stay here. I've never been one for groups, B. You know that. And I don't stay in one place for too long."

"You don't have to run anymore, Faith," Buffy said. "You can stay with us, help us with the Slayers."

"No," Faith said, "That's your gig. I need to find my own."

"I'm not going to change your mind, am I?" Buffy took a deep breath. "Didn't think so. Well . . . just remember that you can always come back, okay? Anytime you need help or whatever. Sister Slayers?"

Faith nodded, "Sister Slayers." Without another word Faith took off. She felt Buffy watch her as she left. She wondered if she'd ever see them again, the 'Scooby Gang'. She kinda figured not . . . but the future is never what people think. If she did, if she didn't . . . it didn't really matter. She just needed to find who she was first. Maybe one day she'd come back. Maybe not.

Right now she just needed to get away.

_To Be Continued._

_Thoughts? Questions? Suggestions? Oh, and inspiration for this fic happened while I was watching an episode of Tru Calling, the episode called "Closure" (which is where the title came from). Just thought I'd mention that. Never seen it before? Check it out, if you want. After all . . . it may give some insight into what future chapters bring._


	2. Chapter 1: Not So Routine

**Closure**

_Buffy the Vampire Slayer post S7 "Chosen"_

**Chapter One: Not So Routine**

Okay . . . Faith had definitely had better days in her life. And that was saying something considering what hell it had been so far. No, today topped everything else. The mother who didn't want her, the vampires, the watcher who'd been torn apart right in front of her, the months in Sunnydale, eight months in a coma, then four years of prison....nope none even came close to the week she'd been having.

Naturally when she finally decided to settle down in New York after like a year of nomading through the East coast where's the first job she lands? A hospital. If there was anything that Faith hated more than cemeteries...it was hospitals. Those eight months she'd spent unconscious in the hospital made sure of that. Sure, the cops weren't looking for her anymore...but she'd never expected the first job she'd applied for to be the one she got. It was kinda weird; a ex convict who'd murdered the Mayor's assistant working in the place where people go to not get dead.

Whatever. A job's a job when you're startin' over. She couldn't afford to be picky anymore with her life. She'd done that. She'd also done careless, stupid, and line-crossing too. To put it bluntly, she got dangerous for a while.

Time's past, and she got over it. Saw the light...or whatever. She did her time, paid her dues. Still was, actually, with the slaying vampires gig.

Anyway...back to the job from hell. Literally. What was this job...if you could call it that. Straight-up, no-holds-barred, down-and-dirty janitorial staff. For ten to twelve hours a day, seven days a week she swept and mopped and scrubbed and polished the third floor surgical recovery unit of the Brooklyn Memorial Hospital. The pay was decent, at least fifteen dollars an hour, and it just barely allowed Faith to pay the bills for the less than stellar apartment she rented just a few blocks from the hospital.

Life simpled up a little. During the day she cleaned the hospital and at night she patrolled. She didn't sleep much (which was normal for her) but found it didn't really matter. All part of the Slayer gig. The janitorial thing wasn't exactly Faith's gig (she'd never found the need to clean up after herself before so the concept of cleaning up after others was a little tough) but she started getting used to it. And she really loved the concept of a steady paycheck.

More than that, she liked the feeling of stability she got from earning what she had. Gone were the days of beating the shit out of people for their stuff and stealing whatever she caught a glance on. Her old philosphy of 'want, take, have' had been squashed in the slammer and now these days she was living clean. She paid rent, bought groceries every week, worked around a budget, and paid attention to what she spent.

Despite her new good habits her ex-convict status didn't earn her much respect from her coworkers. The other janitors were afraid of her and the doctors and nurses looked down on her. Time was she wouldn't have cared less what other people thought. She was who she was and no one was going to change that. She still didn't care—but it'd be nice to not have every cop in the NYPD know exactly who she was.

Well, things _were _normal . . .

Faith punched out, grabbed her stuff and left the hospital. Her shift was over for the day and she had a major date . . . with the fridge. She hadn't had much time lately to eat and she could really use a good helping before patrol. There wasn't much time to do said eating though considering it was already dark.

She walked down the street, turning into an alley to take a shortcut back to her apartment. She always took this shortcut to cut the time she'd have to walk in half. She had her license now but hadn't found the time or funds to get a car. So . . . she walked. And actually she didn't mind. Helped with the restlessness . . . just another part of the Slayer gig.

Today was no different. She was on her usual route home when she saw a guy attacking a woman. Well, not a guy, really—a vampire. The tell-tale ugly-ass mug told her that and from that moment on it was pure instinct.

Her groceries dropped to the ground, her bag following seconds after. Her hands automatically took hold of the stake hidden in the holster on her ankle under her jeans.

"Hey!" She shouted. The vampire grabbed the woman by the neck and shoulders.

"Run!" The woman cried, "Save yourself!"  
"Yeah, not how it works," Faith went into action mode, freeing the stake from its hiding place. She ran up to the unholy duo, grabbing the woman and semi-throwing her across the alley. She collided with the wall to the building and fell to the ground. "Get outta here!" She yelled to the girl.

"He stole my purse!" The woman shouted, pointing at the bag in the vamp's hand. Then she lunged toward her attacker.

"Don't do that!" Faith rolled her eyes, groaning. Why did the victims always have to be so clueless?

The vampire caught the woman's arm and pulled her back toward him. In a split second, the sound of a _crack!_ filled Faith's ears. It all happened too fast for her eyes to process it and by the time she realized what had happened, the young woman's neck was snapped.

The woman was dead.

"Fuck!" Faith cursed, lunging herself at the vampire, stake ready to strike. The vampire dropped the woman's body to the ground and not five seconds later she'd landed her target. The vampire burst into dust. Another victory for the Slayer, but a loss as well.

She sighed, dusting off her clothes. She made her way over to the dead woman, careful not to touch her much so there wasn't any DNA transfer (hey, we could all learn something from CSI!). She pulled the woman over to the side of the alley between the two dumpsters. Next she snatched the fallen purse from the ground where the vamp dropped it. A wallet had fallen out and open in the struggle and she picked it up. As she picked it up she happened to hear something. It was the sound of whining noise. It kinda sound mechanical but...

Was there someone else in the alley?

She followed the sound up the alley away from the busy street. There was a box on the ground behind some garbage cans covered by a cloth. There was another noise. Faith jumped a little. She started to reach for the cloth when there was another noise. Her hand shot back. Thinking it was an animal, she pulled the small dagger she had hidden in her boot. The dagger ready to strike, she started reaching for the cloth again. There was another noise but Faith continued to reach out.

She pulled the cloth off and . . . Holy fuck! What the fuck was that!?

She jumped backwards, startled, and fell against a wall. She just stared at the uncovered box.

Okay, what the hell was she supposed to do with _that_?

_To Be Continued..._

_A.N. I know, I'm awful. I make you wait forever for an update and then I leave such a cliffhanger at the end. Lol. So that was the first chapter. Thoughts? Questions? What do you think is in the box that freaked Faith out so much? _


	3. Chapter 2: How Hard Could It Be

Closure

_Buffy the Vampire Slayer post S7 "Chosen"_

A.N. So...what was in the box?

Previously on _Closure_ . . .

"I'm leaving."

"The funeral?" Buffy said.

Faith shook her head, "I can't stay here. I've never been one for groups, B. You know that. And I don't stay in one place for too long."

"You don't have to run anymore, Faith," Buffy said. "You can stay with us, help us with the Slayers."

"No," Faith said, "That's your gig. I need to find my own."

Faith just needed to find who she was first. Maybe one day she'd come back. Maybe not. Right now she just needed to get away.

Life simpled up a little. During the day Faith cleaned the hospital and at night she patrolled. She didn't sleep much (which was normal for her) but found it didn't really matter. All part of the Slayer gig.

The vampire caught the woman's arm and pulled her back toward him. In a split second, the sound of a _crack!_ filled Faith's ears. It all happened too fast for her eyes to process it and by the time she realized what had happened, the young woman's neck was snapped.

The woman was dead.

She pulled the cloth off and . . . Holy fuck! What the fuck was that!? She jumped backwards, startled, and fell against a wall. She just stared at the uncovered box.

Okay, what the hell was she supposed to do with _that_?

**Chapter 2: How Hard Could It Be  
**

"What the . . ."

Her senses tried to adjust to what she was seeing. It wasn't everyday that someone like her ran in to things like this.

A baby.

Ok, it seemed a little older than a baby. Toddler maybe...like one or two. And ok, it wasn't an it. The blue clothes suggested....boy. A little boy.

Where did it come from?

One minute she was walkin' home from work and then next...here she was in the presence of a baby.

The wallet.

She ran back to where she'd dropped the now dead woman's wallet, picking it up. She opened it as she knelt back down next to it—the boy. I.d. revealed the woman's name to be Erin Randall. 26 years old, from right here in New York City. 2002 Employee i.d for the local video store—but it was now 2003. And since there wasn't a current one...Erin must not work there anymore. A few food stamps. Then she came across pictures. Most were of Erin and a baby—the one Faith was with right now. On the back of all the pictures was 'mommy and Ryden'. No father appeared present in the pictures, nor was there any mention of a husband anywhere on anything in the wallet. No other family either. No emergency contact.

Shit.

There was no one to take care of this kid. Faith didn't need social services to tell her that. She also knew that foster care would eat this child alive.

She glanced over to where Erin Randall's body lay then back to the little boy, Ryden. _What am I gonna do now?_ She thought to herself. 10 to 1 she brought the kid in and told the cops where the body was, she'd be back in jail—or prison, most likely—before you could say 'mistaken identity.'

This kid, though, he needed to be taken care of. Even if she did turn him in he'd just end up in the foster care system. Faith knew a think or two about foster care and none of it was good. She couldn't just leave the kid to that. He'd end up growing up to be a crackhead, street-class fuckup for sure.

Ok, so she wasn't the most maternal of women . . . but it couldn't be that hard could it? If _Angel_ could do it surely she could. Hell, even B had a little sister she took care of.

Faith glanced down at the kid again. She held out her arms, about to pick up the boy when a sound peirced her Slayer hearing.

Sirens.

"Shit," Faith cursed. She snatched the wallet, the kid, and her grocery bags and ran though a door of one of the buildings. Luckily it had been unlocked. She closed the door quietly behind her, thanking whatever power was out there that Ryden was still asleep.

She listened as the sirens 'd obviously found Erin Randall's body. Faith knew she needed to get out of there. She tiptoed through the building. It appeared to be some kind of dark, empty warehouse. Emphasis on the _empty_. She maneuved easily through the many oddly spaced rooms depsite the darkness. Sometimes it paid to have super slayer powers.

Before long she was on the other side of the building, stopping just by the door. She pressed her ear against the door, listening for anything that could cause problems on the otherside. All she heard though was cars, horns, bicyles, and people chatting as they walked by.

Satisfied it was safe to continue, she gently and quietly opened the door closing it behind her. As soon as she was out of the door, she walked down the sidewalk blending it with the traffic of the crowded walkway. A few people had started gathering down the way at the end of the alley where Erin's body was. Faith didn't look back as she disappeared down the sidewalk, around the corner, up the block, and up the stairs to her building.

Once she was inside her apartment she shut the door, closing and triple locking it. Even though she was a Slayer she still took precautions against burgulars. It wasn't the best of neighborhoods and break-ins were common.

She set the grocery bags on the kitchen/dining room table. It was then that she remembered there was a toddler in her arms. The little boy was fast asleep on her shoulder, obvious to the world around him.

She went over to the small living room area and gently set him on the dark green couch near the door. Grabbing some old worn out cushions she surrounded him so he wouldn't fall off and hurt himself.

Her feet automatically shuffled backward and she collapsed on the large oversize bright blue armchair across from the green couch. Dark green and light blue didn't actually go that well together—of course neither did the bright orange loveseat—but that was all her small paycheck could afford. Sure, janitors got paid pretty well but most of that went to bills, food, and rent.

She just couldn't stop staring at Ryden. She'd never been one to be around kids—even when she was one herself. The whole idea of them always freaked her out a little bit. Tiny, miniature-sized people with teeth and nails and fists they couldn't control. Well, they weren't much different from vampires, just more human, she thought with a smirk.

Ryden didn't so bad. He seemed pretty normal, for a kid anyway. Of course he was _sleeping_. Who knew what kids were like when they were _awake._

Then there was the issue of what she was going to do about this situation. She'd never really been a thinker—as witness to the fact that she just kidnaped an orphan without any thought—so she was in uncharted territory. The thinking had always been B's department. Obvious she had to find out more about the kid, as in if he had any family or if his father was involved. An ex-con like her didn't have many resources to work with. Though she did work at a hospital . . . maybe she could find his medical records.

But....

Who was gonna watch the kid while she was at work? She couldn't exactly call in sick and raise suspicions on herself. And she couldn't bring the kid to work either. Hmm...

She did have a neighbor she talked to occasionally, an older woman named Agnes. She seemed pretty solid, trustworthy. Yeah, that seemed like a good idea. Well, it was the only idea. Actually, it was the only idea.

Time for a little recon, as Buffy's 'Scoobies' callled it.

_To Be Continued . . ._


End file.
